Internet Services Simulation - SSE

Software Engineer, Internet Services
Simulation @ SimSpace

About the Role
You'll build and operate the simulated internet-services layer of SimSpace's internet-simulation
platform. Where the network layer handles routing and latency, this role handles the internet itself
— deploying and operating a persistent catalog of simulated and real services (think fake GitHub,
fake social media, fake webmail, AWS/GCP/Azure, and dozens of real SaaS apps) that red and
blue teams interact with. It's a creative, technically broad role spanning service-deployment
automation, content generation, and DNS / email infrastructure.
SimSpace is an AI Proving Ground for cybersecurity — a live-fire cyber range and simulation
platform trusted by allied governments, militaries, and Fortune 50 enterprises. Founded in 2015
by experts from U.S. Cyber Command and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, SimSpace lets organizations
train, test, and validate their defenses (and now their AI tools) in a safe, realistic environment,
with a new platform reaching general availability in August 2026.
Key Responsibilities
Design and operate the Kubernetes-based deployment automation for the simulated service
catalog — per-service deployment configuration, health monitoring, and lifecycle
management.
Build and maintain content-seeding pipelines that scrape, transform, and inject realistic
content — making a fake repo look like it has years of commit history or a fake news site
look like it's been publishing for months.
Own the external DNS layer: operate authoritative DNS for all simulated domains, generate
correct mail and sender-authentication records at provisioning time, and keep DNS state
consistent with deployed services.
Build and maintain the email-delivery infrastructure that sends mail into range environments

— envelope construction, authentication headers, and adversarial email scenarios for red-
team exercises.

Collaborate with the identity / persona team so simulated services are provisioned with the
right user accounts and per-service state stays consistent with the persona definition.
Instrument and monitor the simulated service catalog using the platform's Grafana-based
stack.
Contribute to the service API layer that lets other components and external orchestration
create and manage services programmatically.

Required Qualifications
Strong bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish across written, virtual, and in-person
interactions.
Solid experience deploying and operating containerized services in Kubernetes, including
writing deployment configuration for a heterogeneous set of applications.
Hands-on experience with self-hosted open-source platforms — you've run your own mail
server, stood up a social-media instance, or operated similar infrastructure.
Working knowledge of DNS — not just querying it, but operating authoritative nameservers,
understanding zone delegation, and configuring email-authentication records.
Familiarity with email-delivery infrastructure: how mail servers work, how sender
authentication is constructed, and what makes an email look legitimate.
Experience with web scraping, data-transformation pipelines, or content generation.
Comfort across a broad, heterogeneous service catalog — this role rewards generalist
depth over deep specialization.
Nice to Have
Familiarity with PKI and TLS fundamentals (trust chains, configuring clients to trust custom
CAs).
Experience in cybersecurity, red-team infrastructure, or cyber-range environments.
Our Tech Stack
TypeScript, React, Postgres, Kotlin, Kubernetes, Spring Boot
Location & Work Setup
Remote-first, based in Costa Rica. SimSpace operates remote-first with no designated office;
occasional in-region team gatherings (roughly once every few months) may occur, and any
required travel is reimbursed. You'll collaborate with SimSpace's distributed teams (40+ U.S.
states and Costa Rica), so reliable overlap with U.S. time zones and strong English
communication are expected.
Engagement begins through an Employer of Record (EOR) and is planned to convert to
SimSpace's local Costa Rica entity (anticipated around August–September 2026), at which point
you become a full-time SimSpace employee.
Compensation & Benefits
Base salary. Competitive, level-based for a Software Engineer (level 2, mid) [exact USD
range and payment currency to be confirmed with SimSpace], with annual performance

bonuses tied to company and individual performance, plus eligibility for the corporate bonus
plan.
Equity. Stock options at hire, with annual performance-based grants.
Health & insurance. Company-paid private medical and life insurance premiums;
comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits.
Statutory. 13th-month payment (aguinaldo) per Costa Rican law.
Mental health. Company-paid counseling and coaching for you and your family via Spring
Health.
Parental leave. Paid leave plans.
Referral rewards. $1,500–$3,500 for every qualified referral hire.
Continuous learning. LinkedIn Learning membership.
Connection. Monthly SocialSpace community reimbursements for time with teammates.